Free Materials

April 8, 2014

To complement the wealth of information available on the Association’s websites, we offer free, downloadable Fact Sheets on a variety of topics to help people better understand the complex nature of CFS, engage in more meaningful conversations with their health care providers and make informed choices about CFS-related decisions. Easily reproducible, these Fact Sheets are ideal for distribution to health care professionals, family members and the general public.

Free materials listing:

CFS Fact Sheet
Published by the Association, this resource provides concise information on CFS. Included is information on the diagnosis, prevalence, symptoms, treatment and cause of CFS.

CFS Fact Sheet – Spanish version
Spanish version of the CFS Fact Sheet.

Overview of the Solve ME/CFS Initiative
Want to know more about the Solve ME/CFS Initiative ? This Fact Sheet provides answers to the top 10 questions asked about the Association, including its past, present and future efforts to solve CFS.

Frequently Asked Questions
This resource is a helpful 2-page summary of the top questions from each topic-specific Fact Sheet. Great for those wanting or needing a high level of information on CFS.

Choosing A Health Care Provider
Research has shown that the longer a person is ill before receiving a diagnosis, the more complicated the course of the illness appears to be. This Fact Sheet serves as a guide for CFS patients to help find the right doctor so the road to diagnosis can be shortened.

Doc Talk
Effective communication is at the top of everyone’s wish list when it comes to the patient-doctor relationship. Reprinted from the Spring 2004 issue of the CFIDS Chronicle, this resource offers, strategies to enhance communication with your medical team and avoid leaving the doctor’s office feeling frustrated.

Women with CFS
Chronic fatigue syndrome is 4 times more common among women than men. And because it strikes women of childbearing age, it can dramatically impact family and home life, work and career. This resource provides diagnosis, prevalence and treatment information as well as maternal/child issues specific to women.

Pediatric CFS
Although the symptoms of CFS are similar in people of all ages, the life impact of the illness can vary depending upon the patient’s stage of life. Pediatric CFS patients have to cope with educational, social and developmental challenges, in addition to their medical problems. Read this Fact Sheet for pediatric-specific information on symptoms, diagnosis, educational/social effects and treatment of CFS.

For Those Who Care
This Fact Sheet addresses the challenges, needs and special role of spouses, partners, family members, and friends of persons with CFS. Written for the Solve ME/CFS Initiative by Katrina Berne, PhD.

Disability Fact Sheet
The bureaucratic process of pursuing disability benefits for any medical condition can be difficult and time-consuming. The Disability Fact Sheet provides an overview of the Social Security disability process including links to additional resources.

Disability Evaluation in a Nutshell
The quality of a doctor’s medical report can make or break a CFS patient’s Social Security claim. This simple guide will help your doctor write a report that will improve your chances for winning your claim. It includes a sample report for you and your health care professional to review.

Preventing & Coping with Suicide
This Fact Sheet discusses suicide in the context of a chronic illness, including warning signs, assessing risk, handling a suicide call, responding if it happens, and other resources.

Ten Discoveries
During the 20-year period of 1987 – 2007, research into CFS uncovered many biologic findings about the way this illness affects the body. Here’s a “print-and-go” handout listing 10 key discoveries, as described by Anthony Komaroff, MD, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a widely respected authority on CFS.